Birds of a Feather
The cover of Birds of a Feather: A True Story of Hope and the Healing Power of Animals, features a photo of a veteran embracing a parrot, who rests her head on his shoulder. The...
Please see the below articles about Companion Animals from past editions of the AWI Quarterly.
Military Dogs Not Getting Their Due
Since 2000, Congress has acted to improve the treatment of Military Working Dogs (MWDs) by facilitating their adoption at the end of their careers and authorizing the creation of a program of post-retirement veterinary care...
Pratt Fall: USDA Fails Again at AWA Enforcement
In a November 15, 2014, Des Moines Register article, Debra Pratt was called “a poster child” for the “kind of animal neglect that coins the phrase ‘puppy mill.’” After years of damning US Department of...
Florida Strengthens Animal Cruelty Law
On March 23, National Puppy Day, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed “Ponce’s Law” to increase penalties for animal abusers. Named after a Labrador puppy found beaten to death, the new law raises animal cruelty from...
USDA Keeps Extending the Leash on Abusive Dog Breeder
The Des Moines Register published an editorial on November 13, 2016, entitled “Why won’t the USDA shut down this serial animal abuser?” The paper of record for the state of Iowa—one of the biggest puppy...
Law Enforcement Agencies Ramp Up Efforts to Address Animal Cruelty
One of the latest signs of progress in the effort to convince law enforcement agencies to take animal cruelty seriously is the uptick in the creation of animal cruelty units in police departments and offices...
Pennsylvania, Texas Take Aim at Animal Cruelty
Pennsylvania, long notorious for its weak repercussions for even the worst cases of abuse, took a giant leap forward when Governor Tom Wolf signed Libre’s Law. The state finally acted as a result of public...
Ohio Ballot Initiative Seeks to Squelch State’s Puppy Mills
AWI has joined the “Stop Puppy Mills Ohio” coalition of animal welfare groups, rescues, shelters, and Ohio citizens to launch a ballot initiative aimed at clamping down on puppy mills in the state. Ohio is...
California Closes Pet Shop Doors to Commercial Breeders
Shelter animals in California just got a huge helping hand from lawmakers in Sacramento. The Golden State has become the first in the nation to ban the sale of commercially bred pets in pet stores...
A Coordinated Community Response to Animal Abuse
Meredith is a new animal control officer. She has been directed to visit a particular home on multiple occasions because of complaints from neighbors of dogs barking or running loose. During each visit she has...